Bob Dylan’s cryptic song lyric, ‘Don’t follow leaders, watch the parkin’ meters’ took on new meaning today when the city’s chief leader, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the introduction of ParkNYC, a new and convenient way to pay for on-street parking in New York City.
Implemented by the city Departmnet of Transportation and operated by Parkmobile, LLC, a private vendor, ParkNYC allows motorists to remotely pay for parking using an online system that links registered license plate numbers to NYPD traffic enforcement agents’ handheld devices that confirm payment.
“Parking in New York City can be a challenge, but ParkNYC will make it just a bit easier,” said de Blasio. “With no paper receipt and the ability to quickly get on your way, this new pay-by-cell tool fulfills our commitment – made in this year’s State of the City address – that we would help save New Yorkers the most precious of resources: their time.”
“With ParkNYC, drivers no longer have to scramble for change or even walk to a Muni-Meter to get a receipt for their dashboard,” added DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “With no added fees, mobile alerts that let you know when your parking session is ending, and the ability to extend a session without returning to your car, ParkNYC offers a great convenience to New York drivers. We are excited that ParkNYC will be available at every metered parking space in every borough by the end of next summer.”
The process for using ParkNYC is very simple:
- Download the ParkNYC app or go to www.parknyc.org to register an account.
- Enter personal information including phone number and email; create a password.
- Provide a license plate number for the account and set alert/notification preferences.
- Load your wallet. A ParkNYC wallet works like EZPass, and can be reloaded in increments as low as $25. Once registered, drivers may use the mobile app, internet or a toll-free number to pay for parking.
- Park. After parking, enter the unique zone number for block and length of time. After confirmation, the driver is set!
- Extend. If time is running out and maximum time has not already been reached, parking time can be extended without returning to the car.
Trottenberg noted that ParkNYC was a new option for feeding the meter and that DOT Muni-Meters would continue to accept coins and credit/debit cards for payment for customers who don’t wish to use the new service. Parking rates and time limits are block-side-specific and will remain unchanged for all payment methods.
The ParkNYC mobile app went live last Friday, and is available for download at no cost for iPhones in the App Store and for Android at Google Play. It can be used as zones are phased in Citywide on a rolling basis through next summer. The website www.parknyc.org includes more information about registration and FAQs and can also be used for remote payment without downloading the ParkNYC app. Transactions can also be made by voice call to an automated phone system.
The city will roll out the initiative with signs and decals on the sides of Muni-Meters in Manhattan between 14th and 59th Streets. The new signs and decals identify each block-side with a distinctive six-digit zone code.
Several Brooklyn elected officials hailed th e app as the greates invention since sliced bread.
“For the 1.4 million people who own and drive cars in our city, ParkNYC will be a game changer,” said City Council Member David Greenfield (Borough Park, Midwood, Bensonhurst). “Gone are the days of leaving a store or restaurant to run back to the meter, or getting a ticket when you forget to go back. This is going to eliminate parking headaches and reduce stress for millions of New Yorkers. I look forward to ParkNYC’s rollout throughout the entire city over the coming months, and I want to thank Commissioner Polly Trottenberg for all the hard work she did to secure this victory.”
“The typical New Yorker’s relationship with parking can often be contentious, to say the least,” said City Council Member Stephen Levin (Dowtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn heights, DUMBO, Williamsburg, Boerum Hill). “Unlike the old days, you no longer have to scramble to your meter with a fistful of quarters. With the ability to pay-by-cell, mobile alerts and a refillable electronic wallet, ParkNYC introduces much needed convenience to what used to be a challenging experience.”
